Hearing Loss Treatment Options

Removable Hearing Aids continued...

In-the-ear. In-the-ear hearing aids are used for mild to severe hearing loss. Their parts are so small that they fit completely inside your outer ear. Like some behind-the-ear aids, some in-the-ear aids are designed with a small magnetic coil, called a telecoil. Telecoils make it easier to talk on the phone. They can also pick up signals from systems called induction sound loops that are installed in public places such as churches, schools, airports, and auditoriums. In-the-ear hearing aids are not recommended for young children because their outer ears are still growing.

In-canal. Used for mild to moderately severe hearing loss, in-canal hearing aids are small enough to fit completely inside your ear canal. This means they are far less visible than other hearing aids. But their size makes them harder for some people to adjust and remove. They are also less powerful than larger hearing aids and typically cannot be equipped with a telecoil.

Surgically Implanted Hearing Devices

A variety of hearing technologies can be implanted with surgery to send increased sound vibrations to your inner ear. These include:

Middle ear implants. Surgically attached to one of the bones of the middle ear, middle ear implants move middle ear bones directly, strengthening sound vibrations to the inner ear. They are useful for people with sensorineural hearing loss.

Middle ear implants are among the newest advances in hearing loss treatment. So it's important to speak to a specialist who has experience implanting them. Because they are placed in the middle ear, they are almost completely hidden. They also don't cause feedback and can stay in place when swimming or bathing.

Bone-anchored hearing aids. These devices are surgically implanted into the bone behind the ear, where they transmit sound into the inner ear through the skull. Bone-anchored hearing aids are typically recommended for people with:

Cochlear implants. If the inner ear is severely damaged, even the most powerful hearing aid can't restore hearing. In that case, your doctor may recommend a cochlear implant. Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve that relays sound to the brain. A cochlear implant consists of a microphone positioned behind the ear and a transmitter placed surgically under the skin. Sound information is sent to electrodes that are surgically placed in the inner ear.

Cochlear implants can help adults who are deaf or severely hearing-impaired. They can also help children with profound hearing loss develop speech and language skills. But it often takes time and practice to interpret the signals they provide to the brain as sound.